Katlyn Swartz-Part One

Katlyn Swartz:

    I have had the pleasure of knowing Katlyn since her freshman year of high school.  I have seen her grow up from a girl, trying to find her way in the dramas of high school, to a beautiful young woman--confident in her faith and herself.  I have never seen her try to hurt someone else, but instead, push the extra mile to make them feel welcomed and special.
    If you have seen Katlyn's artwork, you have seen she has a creative mind and a true talent.  Not only is she an artist, but she sings, writes and is a photographer.  Katlyn has a unique, fun sense of style, and most importantly, she has a real soul that radiates sunshine.
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Favorite Food:I really love Chinese food!  Gimme some Teriyaki Lo Mein and I'll love you forever <3

Favorite Color: Teal

Favorite Song: I have a thousand favorite songs.  It changes like every week.  My current addiction is "If It Means a Lot to You" by A Day to Remember

If you could trade lives with anyone from history, who would it be? Why?  I would love to trade places with a lot of people.  I would like to trade places with just a normal woman from the medieval period, I guess.  I sometimes wonder, what was it like to live as a female back in those times?

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Why do you feel you were made?

    Whoa, what a question to start off with eh?
    Well I'm only seventeen, so it’s not like I've have that totally figured out (not sure if I will, or ever will...does anyone?). But, I feel that God gave me a purpose in this life, as He gives everyone. I'm not quite sure what it is, but I've been given a whole lot of talent and I know that somehow I have to use it.

Maybe my purpose is to make people happy? Maybe my purpose is to simply just change one person's life.

I really don't know.


It is a bit heavy, sorry about that!
However, that could be a beautiful calling: just to make someone happy. What brings you happiness/joy?

    I think one of the biggest things that brings me joy these days are my friends. I have this whole new set of friends this year--that I would not trade for anything. They make me laugh, they give me tons of confidence, and I know they're here if I ever need them. My family also [brings me joy]--I cannot tell you how many times my brother and I have laughed together this year!
    And last--but not least--JESUS! Of course I'd say that, but He does really. I mean, with Him there's this content that you find when you have Him.  I find myself not dealing with the same issues--like whining about being single (like many girls I know [who] do).  I have a more positive outlook on things, and that, overall, bring me much joy.


Since I know your joys, may I ask, what are your sadness's?

    Most of the time the joy outweighs the sadness, but I have a few. My most low points come from those days where someone brings up my mom or my big brother (I lost my mom at 11 [years old] and my older brother at 13 years old, he was only 19), sometimes those [days] just hit me like a nasty punch in the face, or something, and I completely fall apart. That's why I cannot listen to country, too much reminds me of my mom (just a little fact for you).     
    I'm easily overwhelmed by school, especially this year.  I have been really cranky, when I feel I have too much to do, and I just crumble for a little bit.
Also, when my friends or family are hurting, I hurt with them.


I'm sorry, truly. I lost my dad as a little girl, and I still miss him too.
What is love to you?
    I've been told a lot about love lately.  It's a huge thing that Christians talk about, and try to explain, to us (younger people). To me, love is something I'm still finding out about.  I'll still be figuring it out when I'm 80 years old, crippled, and living in a home with my husband, or something. It's a process, I guess.

    Love, to me, is more than just a feeling of emotion, it's more than sex, it's more than any of that. I mean, those things come with love, sort of, but that's not really what I think defines it. Love is respect, love is trustworthy, love is forever.  Love has no boundaries and love has no lies. Love is faithful, and love is unconditional.

 

 

What is Heaven and what is Hell?

     Heaven, to me, is hope. This world is getting pretty awful, and when it starts to drag me down, I try to think of Heaven ([learned this] from Revolve).  But seriously, I do. Heaven is a place, in which, God is preparing for us to live, after he sweeps us away from this Earth. 
        It is unimaginable for us.  We've been told, [that] there it is perfect.  It has no suffering, and it has no pain. 
    Can you imagine that? I can't even begin to describe how awesome that would be!   
And as for Hell: 
    Hell is a nightmare. Hell is, basically, a place for those who have chosen to reject God. Satan would want nothing more than for all of us to be dragged down there forever, while he laughs and torments us. It's a good reason to stick close to God--so that you won't ever have to even be close to Hell.


What do you feel happens to those who have never heard of Jesus when they die?
    One time, I was sitting in a car with my Aunt and I asked her something like this: "What happens to someone who's never heard of Jesus before? I mean, if they never even get a chance to hear about him how can they be held accountable for choosing to be saved or not?"
    My Aunt told me something like, "Everyone in this world has at least one chance to be saved. They might hear about God a million times, or they might only get that one chance. But everybody in this world gets at least one chance to make the decision."
    So, that question is not a matter of what happens to someone who's never heard of Jesus.  It's a matter of what happens to them, if they reject the chance they get.